End-loading chute.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

G. HOLMES.

END LOADING GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1907.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1907.

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PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

UNITED srns PATEN orrnon.

GRANT HOLMES, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOLMES &BROTHERS, OF

DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

END-LOADING CHUTE.

the invention is to provide a chute of thischaracter which may besupported above a coal car in such a manner as to load the coal into thecar as the car ismoved beneath the same; which may be moved out of theway to permit the passage of box cars or cars of larger size than thecoal car; to so construct the chute that it will properly distribute thecoal within the car and will build up a load that will ride well andfurther, to so construct the same that it may be adjusted to regulatethe distribution of coalwithin the car.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and in certain parts and combinationshereinafter to be described, and then more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loadingapparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of thesame; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the loading chute Fig. 4 is a rearend elevation of the same; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

In these drawings, I have illustrated the preferred form of my inventionand have shown the same as comprising a frame 1 extending above arailway track and of dimensions suflicient to afford ample clearance forthe cars. Pivotally supported from the frame 1 and above the track is aloading chute 2 which may be of any suitable construction, but I preferthat herein shown which comprises a frame consisting of substantiallyvertical side members 3 connected at their front and rear ends bytransverse bars 4 and 5, respectively, the rear bar 5 being of less lenth than the forward bar, thereby causing t is vertical side members 3 toconverge toward the rear. This frame is provided with a suitable bottomwhich is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 9, 1907.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Serial No. 391,915.

preferably inclined downwardly and forferred form which is here shown,consists of a -fiat substantially triangular member 6 having its basesecured near the lower edge of the rear transverse member 5 of the frameand extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom. Other substantiallytriangular members 7 are arranged on opposite sides of the flattriangular member 6 and have their apices secured near the base of saidflat triangular member and are connected at one edge to the adjacentedge thereof, thence extend upwardly in a curved line and have theiropposite edges secured to the vertical side members 3, preferably 'bymeans of suitable bolts 8. This construction provides a downwardly andforwardly inclined bottom for the chute having its central portion flatand its side portions curved which produces a chute, the rear end ofwhich is substantially rectangular in cross section, while the forwardend thereof is substantially semicircular in cross section.

The members 6 and 7 are preferably of a with. These fingers may be ofany desiredconstruction, but I prefer that the same should be T-shapedin cross section, as here shown, as this provides a maximum strengthwith a minimum weight. These fingers also preferably diverge slightlytowards their outer ends, thus serving to separate the coal according tothe size of the lumps by permit ting the small coal to pass between thesame close to the chute and drop to the bottom of the car, while thelarger coal is carried further from the chute before it can pass betweenthe fingers, and the very large lumps pass off the ends of the fingers,thereby causing this larger coal to fall upon thesmall coal which hasalready passed between the fingers, and as the car moves slowly forwardcausing the small coal to be loaded in the bottom of the car and thelarger lumps on top thereof, thus packing the load to the best advantageand uilding up a load which will ride well.

The upper edges of the bottom of the chute are preferably adjustablysecured to the side members 3 of the frame in order to permit thedownwardly inclined bottom to e adjusted to regulate the distribution ofthe coal within the car. This adjustment may be secured in any suitablemanner and I have here shown the side members 3 as provided with two ormore series of apertures 10,

each series being arranged radially to a cen- I tral aperture 11 andadapted to register with the apertures in the upper edges of the bottomportion, thus permitting the angle of inclination of the bottom portionrelatively to the frame or side members 3 to be varied by removing thebolts 8 and insertin them in a different series of apertures. fine ofthe side members 3 is preferably cut away at its upper edge, as shown at12, to receive the discharge end of a feed chute 13, extending from thecoal delivery screen 14 to the loading chute 2. An outwardly extendingflange or lip 15 is secured to the side member 3 beneath said cut-awayportion and the rear transverse member 5 is'provided with an outwardlyextending portion 16 adapted to e11- gage the rear edge of said flangeand support the same.

The loading chute 2 may be supported above the coal car in any suitablemanner, but I prefer to support the same by means of arms 17 which arepivotally secured at their upper ends to the transverse members of theframe 1, as shown at 18, and are connected at their lower ends to thetransverse members of the frame of the loading chute, as shown at 19,preferably near the center of said members. Suitable diagonal braces 20extend between said arms to strengthen the same and hold them in theirproper relative posi tions. Suitable means are provided for holding theloading chute 2 in its proper position and preventing the same fromtipping under the weight of the feeding chute 13. This means preferablyconsists of arms 21, connected at one end to the frame of the loadingchute and adjustably connected at their other ends to the arms 17.Suitable cables or chains 22 are connected at one end to the frame ofthe loading chute and extend upward and over suitable guides or pulleys23 mounted on the frame 1, and thence downwardly to a point near theground where they pass about a suitable shaft 24 provided with a crank25, whereby the loading chute 2 may be swung upwardly about the pivotalcenter 18 of the arms 17 and into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, in which position it is out of the path of any cars, of whateversize, that may pass over the railway track. The chute is held in thisposition by means of a suitable pawl 26 adapted to engage a ratchet 27on the shaft 24. The cables 22 may also, if desired, be provided withsuitable counterweights 28 to facilitate the lifting of the loadingchute. The feeding chute 13, which conveys the coal from the screen tothe loading chute, is pivotally connected near the end of the screen andhas secured thereto one end of a cable 29 which passes upwardly overguides or pulleys 30 on the frame 1 and thence downwardly to a pointnear the ground, where it is connected to a suitable shaft 31 providedwith a pawl 32 and ratchet wheel 33, whereby the feeding chute may bemoved upwardly and out of the path of the car. An auxiliary feedingchute 34 is also provided and is movably mounted beneath the ends of thescreen 14 by means of links 35, which permit the same to be movedoutwardly so that the outer end thereof will project through the sidedoor of a box car to permit coal to-be loaded into the same.

The operation of the device will be appar ent from the foregoingdescription, and it will be seen that I have provided a loadingapparatus of the character described, in which the loading chute can beadjusted above the coal car and near the top thereof to feed the coalinto said car While the same is moved beneath the loading chute and canbe quickly swung up out of the path of other cars which may be movedover the tracks; that the loading chute is so constructed as toproperly. distribute the coal within the car, loading the small coal inthe bottom and the lumps on top and rounding the load on top, therebypacking the load to the-best advantage and building a load that willride well and, further, that the loading chute may be adjusted toregulate the distribution of coal in the car.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A loading chute of the character described comprising a substantiallyhorizontal upper portion, a downwardly inclined bottom, and forwardlyextending screening fingers carried by said bottom and diverging towardstheir outer ends.

2. A loading chute of the character de- 3. A loading chute of thecharacter described comprising a substantially horizontal upper portion,a downwardly inclined bottom, said bottom having curved side portions,and a flat portion extending between said curved portions forsubstantially the full length of said bottom.

4. A loading chute of the character described comprising substantiallyvertical side members, a downwardly inclined bottom connected at itsedges to said side members, said bottom having a flat triangular centralportion, and a curved side portion.

5. A loading chute of the character described com rising -a frame havingsubstantially vertica side members,a flat triangular member having itsbase secured to the rear wall of said frame and extending downwardly andforwardly therefrom, other substantially triangular members having theirapices secured near the base of said flat triangular member andextending in curved lines from the edges of said flat member to theadjacent edges of said side members.

6. A loading chute of the character described comprising a frame havingsubstantially vertical rearwardly converging side members, a downwardlyand forwardly inclined bottom secured at its edges to said side members,and forwardly extending fingers secured to said bottom.

7. A loading chute of the character described comprising a frame havingsubstan tially vertical side members, a downwardly and forwardlyextending bottom adjustably secured at its edges to said vertical sidemembers, and fingers carried by said bottom.

8. A device for loading coal cars comprising a frame adapted to extendon the opposite sides of the car, arms pivotally secured at one end to afixed part of said frame at a oifit above the plane of said car, anendoading chute mounted between the free ends of said arms, means forfeeding coal to said chute, and means for moving said arms about theirpivotal centers to vertically adjust said chute.

9. A device for loading coal cars comprising a frame having a transversemember extending'above the car, arms pivotally connected to saidtransverse member near one end thereof and having their free endsextending above the car, an end loading chute carried by the free endsof said arms, guides carried by said frame near the end of saidtransverse member opposite that to which said arms are pivoted, a cableconnected to said chute and extending over said guides, and

means for actuating said cable to move said arms about their pivotalcenters and vertically adjust said chute.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GRANT HOLMES.

Witnesses GERTRUDE C. KOCH, W. H. SNAVELY.

